Snow plow



Nov. 15, 1955 J. F. HARNACK 2,723,470

SNOW PLOW Filed Oct. 21. 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l b3 13 #2 bl 7 7 7:

INVENTOR. 3O 19 3| H6 H4 #5 H69, zfb/Ifl FHarflac/f F7 BY HTTOR/VEY Nov. 15, 1955 J. F. HARNACK 2,723,470

SNOW PLOW Filed om. 21. 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 28 W UM 1 SNOW PLOW John F. Harnack, Remsen, Iowa Application October 21, 1949, Serial No. 122,603

2 Claims. (CI. 37-43) My invention relates to a snow plow.

An object of my invention is to provide a snow plow having certain features whereby the snow is disintegrated as the plow is pushed forwardly, and with the pulverized snow thence being conveyed upwardly and discharged in the proper direction.

A further object of my invention is to provide a snow plow wherein the snow can be discharged using less power than is commonly required by virtue of certain conveyor constructions which will be described which will elevate the snow to the discharging position, thereby only requiring a discharge fan having a smaller power rating.

A further object of my invention is to provide slicing blades so arranged as to rapidly attack the snow ahead of the plow, and to include furtherslicing blades adapted to efiiciently attack and disintegrate the snow banks at either side of the plow.

A further object of my invention is to provide controls for selectively forcing the discharged snow to either side of the plow.

A further object of my invention is to provide adjustable discharge spouts for selectively controlling the discharge angle of the snow according to its density.

A further object of my invention is to provide a powering arrangement which requires a minimum number of operating units, and to provide other advantages which will be apparent.

With these and other objectsin view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of mydevice, whereby the objects contemplatedare attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims,rand illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: i

' Figure 1 is a forward elevation of the snow plow with portions thereof being taken in section,

Figure 2 is a sectional view of Figure 1 taken substantially along the lines 2--2 thereof, and with certain parts omitted,

Figure 3 is a plan view of the snow plow withfa fragmentary section of a portionithereof, and

Figure 4 is a rear view of the snow plow.

My invention contemplates the provision of an efliciently operating snowplow which will rapidly and efiiciently slice or disintegrate the snow as it travels forwardly, and to thence convey such snow to a discharge unit whereby the snow is discharged laterally.'

My invention also contemplates the provision of a powering arrangement wherein the excess power usually required in the fan of the usual snow plows will not be necessary since my intention is to provide a conveyor requiring much less power than the fan usually used, whereby such conveyor will conveythe snow upwardly to a smallerfan for discharging. Many of the present snow plows require a powerful fan which, besides discharging the snow, must also ,draw the snow upwardly by suction, the suction el'r'ectthereby requiring considerable power due to the relatively large area which must be: accommodated. 1 My invention also contemplates the provision of laterally positioned slicing units for attacking efiiciently the sides of the snow path to be cleared and to accomplish the same in a satisfactory manner without requiring the use of cumbersome stationary slicing blades and the like.

I have used the character 10 to designate an upwardly projecting and sloping baflleplate, which terminates forwardly at 11. Merging with the forwardly projecting portion 11 is a substantially horizontal wall member 12 which merges with the arcuate vertical walls 13. Attached to the member 10 are the vertical walls 14 which extend inwardly from the arcuate walls 13, and between the walls 14 is located the entrance opening 15. Attached at 16 to the walls 14 are the brackets 17 terminating in the bearings 18 with additional bracing members 19 being provided. Journalled in the bearings 18 at either end thereof is a shaft 20 which is square in section with the exception of its journalling portions, with the shaft 20 being received within suitable square openings in the circular members 21, the shafts being secured in any suitable manner, thereto, and suitably attached and clamped between the members 21 are the triangular plates 22 having their corners at apart as shown in Figure 2, and attached at 23 to each corner of the triangular members 22 are the straps 24 which extend into the portions 25, and extending from the portions 25 are the series of fairly sharpcntting blades 26. The plates 22 include slots at 27 for the reception of flat plates 28 which serve as impeller or fan blades.

It will be noted principally from Figure 2 that the triangular plates 22 are staggered in alternate relation so that the complete circle of rotation is filled with the blades as much as possible, the width of the blade structure being such that laterally, the space will be also filled with the blades. The forward end of the plow rests upon the skid 29 having the bevelled portion 30, and the lower end of the casing is indicated by the character 31, and merging with the lower end adjacently to the portion 30 is the upwardly inclined and substantially arcuate portion 32. A pair of bearings 33 are attached to the lower member 31, with a pair of bearings 34 being attached adjacent to the forward edge 11 of the member 10. Journalled in the bearings 33 and 34 are the vertical shafts 35 which are also square with the exception of their journalling portions, the shafts 35 being received within suitable openings in the circular members 36, the shafts being attached thereto, and clamped between the members 36 are the spaced triangular plates 37 which are identical to the plates 22 except that they are smaller, these plates also being staggered in substantially the same manner, and being attached at their corners to the same type of members 24 and 25 as well as the slicing and cutting blades 26. These members are slightly smaller across their tips where they are close to the bearings 18 in order to clear the bearings during rotation.

Attached at 38 to the member 12 are the brackets 39 in which is journalled another shaft 40, and attached to the shaft 40 are the bevel gears 41 which mesh with the bevel gears 42, which bevel gears 42 are attached to the upper ends of the shafts 35. Attached to the shaft 40 is a sprocket 43.

I shall now explain a certain conveyor arrangement which is used to carry away the snow received through the opening 15. Positioned adjacently to the snow entrance opening 15 is the lower end 44 of the channel member 45 a portion of which channel member is provided by the lower wall 31. The channel member includes the vertical side walls 46 of fairly substantial thickness, this lower channel member communicates with the vertical continuing channel members 47 which are entirely enclosed and which merge with the arcuate channel portions at 48. The portions 48in turn merge with the discharge portion 49, the portion 49 including the lower opening 50 which opening is bordered by the arcuate walls 51, and which arcuate walls 51 merge with the blower or fan housing 52, this housing being circular in shape. It will be thus noted, that a complete channel is provided at the bottom of the snow plow, at the sides and at the top. The members 46 include the slots 53 therein for the reception of the rollers 54 which are journalled on short shafts which are attached to the chains 57, and also attached to the chains 57 are the conveyor blades 55 having the forwardly inclined portions 56. The chains 57 pass over the sprockets 58 there being four pairs of such sprockets, each pair being at each corner of the conveyor arrangement, and being recessed within the members 46. The sprockets 58 are suitably journalled on the shafts 59, and one of such shafts 59 is attached to an exterior sprocket 60 (see Figures 3 and 4).

A bearing 61 is attached to the lower wall 62 of the circular casing 52, and journalled within the bearing 61 is a vertical shaft 63 which is attached to a hub 64 to which hub is attached at 65 the radially positioned fan blades or impellers 66. Extending from the circular casing 52 are the rectangular in cross section discharge spouts 67 having discharge openings 68, and positioned within the spouts 67 is the arcuate channel 69 in which is slidably received the arcuate member 70, which member 70 can be manually moved to close either of the spouts 67 as will be apparent, in order to deflect the snow to the other side of the arrangement.

Pivotally secured at 71 to the spouts are the transverse shafts 72 terminating in the handles 73 and attached to the shafts 72 are the flaps 74 which flaps can be angularly positioned as desired upwardly or downwardly to correspondingly accommodate heavier or lighter snow or wet snow. The flaps can be held in any desired position by means of the notched members 75, which members 75 are suitably secured to the member 67, and which notched members 75 register with suitable arrangements on the handles 73.

Attached to the shaft 63 is a V-belt pulley 76 which is driven by means of the V-belts 77, and engaging the V- belts 77 is a larger pulley 78 which is attached to a shaft 79 which is journalled at 80 in a bracket 81, the shaft 79 being freely rotatable within an upper bevel gear 82 and a lower bevel gear 83. The shaft 79 includes the squared portion at 84, and received upon the squared portion 84 is the clutch member 85 having the locking teeth 86 adapted to engage the teeth 87, which teeth 87 are attached to the bevel gears 82 and 83. The clutch member 85 is slidable along the squared portion of the shaft and is moved by means of the fork 88 which is controlled by means of the lever 89 which can be pivotally attached at 90 to the rear wall 91 of the plow.

It will be seen by virtue of this arrangement that the fan blades 66 can be driven in either direction by means of the reversing member 85 since gears 82 and 83 are both driven at the same time by gear 96, and the clutch member will lock either one or the other of the gears 82 and 83 to shaft 79 to drive said shaft to thereby provide this result.

The bracket member 81 includes the vertical portion 92 which is attached at 93 to the rearwardly extending bracket portion 94, and journalled within the portion 92 is a drive shaft 95 to which is attached the bevel gear 96, this bevel gear being adapted to engage bevel gears 82 and 83 as above described.

Attached to the drive shaft 95 is an additional bevel gear 97 which meshes with an additional bevel gear 98 which is secured to a shaft 99 which is journalled within the upright bracket 100 which is attached to the member 94. Attached to the shaft 99 are the sprockets 101 and 102. Engaging the sprocket 102 is a sprocket chain 103 which in turn engages the sprocket 104 (see Figures 1 and 2), which sprocket 104 is attached to the shaft 20,- this arrangement thereby serving to rotate the shaft 20 in the direction of the arrow 105 as shown in Figure 2. Another sprocket chain 106 engages the sprocket 101, this chain 106 engaging the uppersprocket 43 which is attached to the shaft 40, and it will be noted that this arrangement therefore rotates the shafts 35 in the direction of the arrows 107 as shown in Figure 3.

It will be noted that the lowermost tri-angular plates 37 include the additional fan blades 28, arranged in the same manner as the plates 28 in the vertically positioned members 22, these plates being required only at the bottom of the arrangement to impel the upper snow centrally.

Attached to the vertical bracket portion 92 is a horizotal bracket 108 in which is journalled a shaft 109, and attached to the shaft 109 are the sprockets 110 and 111. Another sprocket 112 is attached to the drive shaft 95 and a sprocket chain 113 engages the sprocket 112 and the sprocket 110, and an additional sprocket chain 114 engages the sprockets 111 and 60, this arrangement thereby driving a pair of the sprockets 58 to also thereby operate the complete conveyor system through the agency of the sprocket chains 57. It should be noted that the sprocket chains 103 and 106 pass through suitable openings in the casings where required.

Attached at 115 to the rear of the plow are the brackets 116 which receive the adjustable threaded posts 117 (see Figure 4) which are threadably engaged with the nuts 118, the posts 117 passing through the portions 119, and terminating in the U-shaped brackets 120 in which are journalled at 121 the rubber tired wheels 122. The adjusting nuts 118 are arranged to elevate or lower these wheels, with suitable collars being provided to maintain the arrangement in fixed position. A rearwardly extending bar 123 can be attached to the bracket 124, which bracket 124 can be suitably secured to any type of truck, tractor, or other vehicle which is to be used for pushing the snow plow forwardly, and the shaft 95 can also be attached by means of suitable joints or in other ways to any of the powering arrangements in such vehicles for the purpose of operating the functioning parts of the snow plow.

It will now be noted that as the plow is pushed forwardly, the shaft 20 in rotating forwardly as described will cause rotation of the vertically positioned blades 26 to thereby chop and slice into the snow-bank, thus rapidly disintegrating and pulverizing the same. At the same time the inward rotation of the side blade units, which blades are horizontal, will slice away the side walls along the snow, it being noted that such blades travel beyond the outer edges of the walls 13. As a result the snow is cut down into the necessary consistency for being discharged, and the rapid rotation of the impeller elements 28 will correspondingly convey and impel the snow particles upwardly along the member 32 whereby the snow will drop into the lower portion 44 of the conveying channel member. This snow is then conveyed upwardly in the direction of the arrow 125 by virtue of the conveying members 55 and this snow will thence be conveyed to the opening 50 and into the fan blade structure, where it is then blown through either spout opening 68. The power to raise the snow through the channels is relatively much less than the extra power that would be required by a fan to lift the snow the same distance, thereby requiring smaller power requirements only. As a result, the arrangement will rapidly attack the snow, reduce it to its necessary consistency for conveyance, convey the snow upwardly to the discharge arrangement, and thus provide a snow plow having the advantages and characteristics above mentioned. If it is desired, an opening can be provided at 126 at the top of the conveyor arrangement which can be covered by a suitable lid.

It will now be seen that I have provided the various advantages set forth in the objects of my invention with various other advantages being readily apparent.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my invention without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. A snow plow comprising a casing having a forward and a rear opening, a horizontal shaft mounted ahead of the forward opening of said casing, a plurality of vertical plates attached to said shaft, said plates being triangular in shape, blade holders attached to the apexes of said plates, a plurality of slicing blades attached to said blade holders, said slicing blades being adapted to rotate in planes parallel to the plane of rotation of said plates, said plates being spaced at equal distances along said horizontal shaft, a plurality of equally spaced fan blades attached to said triangular plates, said triangular plates being in staggered relation whereby the apexes of alternate plates will be positioned in alternate angular displacement, a pair of vertical shafts positioned exteriorly of, and adjacently to said horizontal shaft and in alignment therewith, a plurality of horizontal triangular plates being attached to and rotated by said vertical shafts, a plurality of horizontal slicing blades being attached at each apex of said horizontal triangular plates, said horizontal slicing blades rotating in planes parallel to the plane of rotation of said horizontal triangular plates.

2. A snow plow comprising a casing having a forward and a rear opening, a horizontal shaft mounted ahead of the forward opening of said casing, a plurality of vertical plates attached to said shaft, said plates being triangular in shape, blade holders attached to the apexes of said plates, a plurality of slicing blades attached to said blade holders, said slicing blades being adapted to rotate in planes parallel to the plane of rotation of said plates, said plates being spaced at equal distances along said horizontal shaft, a plurality of equally spaced fan blades attached to said triangular plates, said triangular plates being in staggered relation whereby the apexes of alternate plates will be positioned in alternate angular displacement, a pair of vertical shafts positioned exteriorly of, and adjacently to said horizontal shaft and in alignment therewith, a plurality of horizontal triangular plates being attached to and rotated by said vertical shafts, a plurality of horizontal slicing blades being attached at each apex of said horizontal triangular plates, said horizontal slicing blades rotating in planes parallel to the plane of rotation of said horizontal triangular plates, a plurality of additional fan blades attached adjacently to the lower portions of said vertical shafts and driven thereby.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 138,596 Tilton May 6, 1873 1,265,491 Obitts May 7, 1918 1,407,947 Pagel Feb. 28, 1922 1,421,225 Haupt June 27, 1922 1,588,745 Kear et a1 June 15, 1926 1,677,803 Tenger July 17, 1928 1,754,311 Foot Apr. 15, 1930 2,055,840 Girard Sept. 29, 1936 2,116,945 Hitchens May 10, 1938 2,144,311 Klauer Jan. 17, 1939 2,144,316 Klauer Jan. 17, 1939 2,200,623 James May 14, 1940 2,320,723 Gaylord June 1, 1943 2,323,460 Domrese et al. July 6, 1943 2,387,423 Vanable Oct. 23, 1945 2,420,500 Schug May 13, 1947 2,491,892 Claus Dec. 20, 1949 2,508,829 Lamy May 23, 1950 2,545,318 Stukenborg Mar. 13, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 123,224 Australia Jan. 2, 1947 190,361 Switzerland July 1, 1937 

